Hauraki District Council | About Hauraki

Hauraki District

The Hauraki District spans from the Kaiaua (Seabird) Coast along the reclaimed, rich dairy lands of the Hauraki Plains which border the Firth of Thames, and then onto the rugged Karangahake and Kaimai/Coromandel ranges before reaching the Golden Valley farmlands in the northeast and the Pacific Ocean at Whiritoa. The Hauraki District is a relatively small territorial area, although it is geographically very diverse. All up the District covers an area of 1,269 square kilometres.

Dramatic scenery and rural tranquility, arts, crafts, cafés and restaurants, wineries, history and heritage, and excellent sports facilities are all to be found in the Hauraki District. The District has a range of community facilities including swimming pools, halls, parks and reserves as well as a full range of utilities including water supplies, water treatment plants and transfer stations.

The three largest urban centres in the District are Waihi, Paeroa and Ngatea, and the District also includes a number of smaller townships including Turua, Kerepehi, Mackaytown, Waikino and the coastal communities of Whiritoa and Kaiaua. The Hauraki District has three Wards which are Paeroa, Plains and Waihi.

The Hauraki District’s climate is relatively moderate, with warm summers and moderate winters. The District has a fairly high rainfall although it varies across the District depending on location and topography.

The Hauraki District benefits from its central location with Auckland, Hamilton and Tauranga, cities all within an hour to two hours drive and the beautiful Coromandel Peninsula on its doorstep.

In November 2010 the Seabird Coast became part of the District and this increased the population by around 650 people. Taking into consideration this population increase, as well as the projected population growth for the District, Statistics New Zealand estimated that according to the last census in 2013 Hauraki District’s population is around 17,811.

For information about activities and annual events in Hauraki view the Hauraki Lifestyle.

Key Industries

There are a number of key industries established within the Hauraki District. The District has a rich farming history, with a lot of business supporting and servicing the farming industry. Mining is another key industry for the Hauraki District, with the well known open pit Martha Mine in Waihi town centre, along with a number of underground mines, located on the doorstep of the township. Tourism is a steadily growing industry for the District, with Hauraki being home to a number of tourist attractions including the recently established Hauraki Rail Trail, the Karangahake Gorge and the Seabird Coast.

The horticultural industry provides seasonal work with a number of kiwifruit orchards, some flower growing, grapes and cropping. The District also has a large number of light engineering firms serving the farming and transport industries.

Manufacturing businesses produce a wide range of products including electronic equipment, press metal work, furniture, farm accessories, trellis, timber, concrete, roading aggregate and meat products. The main urban centres have a good selection of retail outlets and places to eat.

The industries that the Hauraki District is most well known for are farming, mining and more recently the growing tourism industry.

(Graphical information from Statistics NZ 2013)

Farming

In 1908 the Land Drainage Act provided for extensive land drainage work to be undertaken on the Hauraki Plains. In 1910, 6,600 hectares was made available in Hauraki for settlement and by 1930 around 17,400 hectares of Crown land had been opened up for farming. Today, over 1,000 kilometres of drains and canals, together with many kilometres of stopbanks and floodgates protect 64,700 hectares of farmland.

Dairy farming is an important sector in the farming industry for Hauraki and has traditionally been the principle type of agriculture within the District due to the flat land and rich soil of the Hauraki Plains combined with a mild climate and moderate rainfall.

The following tables provide a breakdown of the farming industry in the Hauraki District:

Dairy Farms in the Hauraki District

Dairy Farms

413

Cows

115,287

Hectares

42,078

Kilograms/Milk Solids

$278.5 million

Approximate figuresSource: Dairy NZ 2013

Other Farms in the Hauraki District

Beef farms

140

Cattle

22,000

Sheep farms

230

Sheep

42,000

Approximate figures (2008)

Mining

The Martha (open pit), Favona (underground) and Trio Mines (underground) in Waihi are three of only a handful of mines in the developed world that operate within an established residential community. As such, a paramount link to the mine’s success and on-going development is its relationship with the surrounding community and the Hauraki District Council.

The mining licence for Martha Mine was granted in 1987, although mining in this area dates back to the mid-to-late 1800s. The Favona underground mine begun operation in 2004 and the development of the Trio mine began in 2010. According to Newmont Waihi Gold the Martha and Favona mines produced around 107,942 ounces of gold in 2011 and 522,129 ounces of silver in 2011. These mines contribute significantly to the Hauraki District’s economy; the mining activity in Waihi contributes approximately 25% of Waihi’s GDP.

Newmont Waihi Gold has recently announced its intention to establish another underground mine called Correnso. The proposed Correnso mine will extend under some residential and commercial properties in the eastern part of the Waihi Township. The Council is working closely with the community and the mining company regarding issues surrounding the proposed Correnso mine and the other mines in the Waihi area.

Tourism

The District is home to excellent attractions including the recently established Hauraki Rail Trail (which also links to Matamata-Piako and Thames-Coromandel Districts), the Karangahake Gorge and Victoria Battery site, Ngatea Water Gardens, the Historic Maritime Park in Paeroa, Goldfields Railway in Waikino/Waihi, and the Waihi Gold Mine along with many others. These attractions draw visitors from all over New Zealand and many overseas visitors.

For more information on the tourism in the Hauraki District, including activities, events, transport and accommodation, please refer to the following websites:

Population

Area

Population Count 2013

Education Facilities within the Hauraki District

There are a range of educational facilities within the Hauraki District that aim to provide for a variety of people. There are three secondary schools in the District which are located in Waihi, Paeroa and Ngatea and there are almost 20 primary schools located throughout the District. There are also a number of early childcare facilities, a school for students with special needs (Goldfields Special School) and even a few adult education facilities.

Sports Clubs

There is a range of sports clubs throughout the district including rugby, netball, soccer, cricket, touch rugby, golf and hockey.

Other minority sports include rowing, athletics, tennis, squash, croquet, martial arts and badminton and are available in some parts of the district. For more information sports in the district please see the Sport Waikato website: www.sportwaikato.org.nz